Internet trolls – they shame, threaten, bully…and help sell ads! A researcher infiltrates a trolling network and the cycle of harassment. Plus, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of back to the future, the billion dollar film franchise that repurposed the Delorian, reinvented time travel, and gave us the hoverboard. And from Rihanna to lady gaga – dyed gray hair is a hot fashion trend. Feminist statement or a passing fad?

New Hampshire's 'Hands Free' law goes into effect on July 1st -- and many consumers have already adapted to the new policy. There's also a nifty little device you probably already have in your car, or on your desk, right now: the ballpoint pen. While it may not cause a window-shattering ruckus these days, it's still in daily usage. And finally, while a quiet hurricane season is predicted for this year, there's one place that's guaranteed to see category 5 winds this year: a new Florida laboratory with the power to create artificial hurricane conditions.

On today’s show, it’s Writers on a New England Stage with scientist turned novelist Diana Gabaldon, recorded live at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Gabaldon is author of the phenomenally popular Outlander series – an addictive blend of historical fiction and fantasy based on the premise of time travel. Outlander plays with the past, overthrows traditional gender roles, and has inspired a cable television series that Buzzfeed called, “The Feminist Answer to ‘Game of Thrones.’ ” Her latest novel is the eighth in the Outlander series, Written in My Own Hearts Blood.

With a beak like a parrot, venom strong enough to dissolve flesh, and eight writhing tentacles, the octopus is among the most mystifying and alien of creatures.

On today’s show, a naturalist reaches across half a billion years of evolution to find the soul of an octopus. Then, from playing catch in the backyard to taking junior to his first ball game, baseball is a bonding tradition--and cliché--for many American men. We’ll look at the father-son relationship through the lens of baseball.

Aphonia, flop sweat, mic fright. Call it what you will, stage fright can be crippling for some performers. On today’s show: a pianist delves into the history of performance anxiety, and her own struggle to overcome it

Then, between recent spikes in bicycle commuters and bike-friendly infrastructure, arguments over who owns the road are commonplace, but hardly new. We’ll take a look at the bicycle’s fraught history with pedestrians, automobiles and even horse-drawn carriages.

Before Carter versus Ford, presidential debates weren’t considered a necessary part of the election process, but today, the debate stage is like the Roman Coliseum.

On today’s show, we’ll look at the history of zingers, gaffes, and memorable moments from behind the podium. Then, with a pool of candidates growing at a near exponential rate, debate planning has become a headache for the GOP. We’ll look at how party leaders and the media could take advantage of the enormous field.

Sarah Neufeld grew up playing the violin, but she never really approached the instrument in the classical sense. To her, the violin was just a different kind of guitar. When Colin Stetson picks up the saxophone, the once familiar brass woodwind sounds unfamiliar. Together, the duo push the sonic boundaries of their traditional instruments.

With a beak like a parrot, venom strong enough to dissolve flesh, and eight writhing tentacles, the octopus is among the most alien-looking of creatures.

On today’s show, a naturalist explores animal consciousness through the eyes of the incredible octopus. Plus, classical instruments through the eyes of musical rebels, Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufield of Arcade Fire.

When Jurassic Park was released in theaters back in 1993, the scientific community was in shock. Happy shock, that is. For once, Hollywood got the science part—mostly­­—right. Long thought to be lumbering beasts, who slogged around the earth, Jurassic Park ushered in a new era of understanding when it came to dinosaurs: they were actually fast and smart.

Recruiting players from other countries is fairly common in the arena of professional sports, but in the world of chess, luring one of the top players to the U.S. was a clandestine operation. On today’s show, the U.S. Chess Federation makes a bold move and lands the number two player in the world.

Then, in April, a Louisiana high school principal outraged the public by forbidding a female student from wearing a tux to her prom. Later in the show we’ll break down gender norms for a brief history of unisex fashion.

There’s plenty of evidence that drug use during pregnancy can harm the fetus, but should using illicit substances while pregnant be a criminal offense? On today’s show, an unfiltered look at what happens when expectant mothers are jailed for drug use.

Then, from Mexican cartels to Isis, the rise in kidnappings globally adds up to a 1.6 billion dollar “hostage industry”. Later in the show a journalist attends “Hostage Camp”, where wealthy travelers learn how to survive a kidnapping.

Just about anything can be outsourced these days from customer service to personal tax filing, but what if you need help with a creative project, say a radio story? We asked NHPR's Sean Hurley to relinquish his creative control and utilize a website called Fiverr, an online marketplace where people offer a wide range of services starting at just five dollars.

As new contenders join the 2016 presidential race, the flood of stump speeches and political spin can be overwhelming. On today’s show we’ll talk to a comedy writer who has mastered the art of translating deliberately deceptive double-speak: from politics, to real-estate, to food.

Plus, we’ll hear about a class action lawsuit against blue moon, charging that the self-described “artfully crafted” brew is not really a craft beer.

Today on Word of Mouth, it’s Writers on a New England Stage with Tom Brokaw, recorded live at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. As a pillar of network news and the author of “The Greatest Generation” books, Brokaw is beloved as an eye-witness to world-shaping events and much more quiet heroics. When diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2013, Brokaw did not want the spotlight turned on him.

“Birthday suit”, “in the buff”, “wearing nothing but a smile”. On today’s show we’ll explore the progressive-era origins and continuing tensions over what it means to take it all off.

Plus, discovering the secret to happiness has inspired a robust self-help industry and pre-occupied philosophers since the days of Aristotle and Epicurus. Contemporary philosopher Frederic Lenoir shares some practical advice from the world’s great minds.

Sometimes unexplained sounds have a perfectly logical scientific explanation, other times, no matter how logical the explanation may be, you still don't believe it. The following sounds are unexplained, but there are theories about their origin. We invite you to speculate wildly.

“Birthday suit”, “in the buff”, “wearing nothing but a smile.” Call it what you will, on today’s show we’ll strip bare the American nudism movement and we’ll explore the progressive-era origins and continuing tensions over what it means to take it all off.

Then, we’ll hear about two young men who embarked on a bold crime spree, stealing thousands in gold and weapons. The hitch? It all went down in a video game.

From the loyal dog to the house cat to the horse, domestication has bridged the gap between wild animals and humans. On today’s show, the evolutionary advantages of domestication, and how we got from wildcat to the purring kitten of a zillion video memes.

Then, from playing catch in the backyard to taking junior to his first ball game, baseball is a bonding tradition, and cliché, for many American men. We’ll look at the father-son relationship through the lens of baseball.

All of the photography featured in the slide show are from the June issue of National Geographic magazine. You can find more photos from Tim Zimmermann's feature article, "Born to Be Wild" at National Geographic's website.

Since its debut, Kickstarter has raised nearly 2 billion dollars and successfully crowd funded more than 85,000 campaigns. On today’s show, we’ll hear about a successfully funded Kickstarter which failed to deliver that takes “dissatisfied customer” to a whole new level.

Plus, huge crowds flock to see dolphins in aquariums and zoos across the world, but life in captivity is a far cry from their natural habitat. Later in the show we’ll examine the complicated process of returning dolphins to the ocean.

We’ve all heard the saying “seeing is believing”, but does it ring true in a photoshopped-world? On today’s show we’ll try to find the answer to this question: why are we so easily duped by viral images:

Then, take the Talented Mr. Ripley, add several more aliases, and a dash of gruesome, and you get Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter. Writer Walter Kirn talks about being swindled by a man masquerading as a scion of the Rockefeller family, who was really a cunning imposter and a murderer.

Plus, a look back at one of the greatest hoaxes in American history, the Giant Indian of Cardiff.

With the weather warming up across New England, people are heading for the coast. Today Word of Mouth hits the high seas. First we'll ponder the unfathomable push and pull of the open ocean. Then, we’ll speak to an artist who created the world’s first submerged sculpture park, his underwater gallery not only attracts art-lovers, but serves as an artificial reef. Plus, farmed fish now exceeds beef production. Have fish farmers learned from the mistakes of the meat industry?

Millennials are often painted as entitled, selfie-snapping narcissists, but do they deserve the “kids these days” label? On today’s show we’ll attempt to transcend the generation gap with a strong defense of the youngsters.

Then, we celebrate graduation season with author George Saunders, whose 2013 commencement address at Syracuse University contained a simple message: “be kinder”. The speech went viral, became a short film, and a book. He’ll explain why it rippled out far beyond that group of graduates.

On today’s show, it’s Writers on a New England Stage with Sue Monk Kidd, recorded live at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. The author of The Secret Life of Bees explores the roots of American racism with The Invention of Wings, a novel about the unlikely alliance between a southern woman and a slave.

Each Memorial Day, the country comes together to remember the fallen – but history hasn’t always been so kind. When President Lincoln was assassinated, many people publically celebrated his death, and not just in the south. On today’s show, the myth of a country united in mourning. Plus, a look at why some important historical events go altogether unremembered – like the sinking of The Sultana, America’s deadliest maritime disaster. And a Vietnam veteran says thank you to the comrade who saved him – not from bullets, but from himself.

With thousands of empty luxury apartments in China’s new cities, desperate measures are being taken to lure buyers. On today’s show, we’ll explore the booming business of renting foreigners as props to give these ghostly city centers an air of international glamour.

Then we hit the pitch for an inside look at the world’s greatest sports rivalry, between the Pakistan and Indian cricket teams, and what it reveals about the complicated relationship between the nations.

In 1983 Ronald Reagan gave a speech at Disney’s Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida extolling his new found understanding of the virtues of video games: “I recently learned something quite interesting about video games.

Worried that your kids are spending too much time playing video games? On today’s show we look at how video games can not only level the demographic playing field, but help kids learn and potentially, heal. Plus, discovering the secret to happiness has inspired a robust self-help industry and pre-occupied philosophers since the days of Aristotle and Epicurus. Contemporary philosopher Frederic Lenoir shares some practical advice from the world’s great minds.

We’ve heard the claim before – low-income urban kids aren’t getting to spend enough time in the woods. But what if outdoor education isn’t just about where you live – but how you’re being raised?

On today’s show, our station wide series The First Decade continues, with a look at environmental education. Plus, a bee researcher explains two new studies that offer increasing evidence that a common form of pesticide is harmful to wild bees. And, Dr. Kanye West? We discuss the function and failures of honorary degrees.